Ash tray support for automobiles



` May 2l, 1957 A. l:.l PETERSON ASH TRAYsuPPoRT FOR AUTOMOBILES 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed oct. 22, 1954 May 21, 1957 A. E. PETERSON ASR TRAY SUPPORT FOR AUTOMOBILES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 22. 1954 y far/gre? Caff? United States Patent O ASH TRAY SUPPORT FOR AUTOMOBILES Arthur E. Peterson, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Chicago Forging and Manufacturing Company, Chicago, lil., a corporation of Delaware Application October 22, 1954, Serial No. 463,992

4 Claims. (Cl. 312-246) This invention relates to drawer-type containers and the like and has for one purpose the provision of a novel lsupport for such containers.

Drawer-like containers Islidably mounted in portions of an automobile are subjected to the repeated vibrations to which the automobile is subjected. It such drawer-like containers are mounted as the known containers have been mounted in the past in such manner as to incorporate a metal-to-metal contact 'between the support to which the metal container is mounted, the mounting must be such as to provide for relatively easy movement of the container along the support. It the container is mounted suticiently loosely upon such a metal support, then the structure is subject to a rattling, and an undesirable noise is created in the automobile. In the past, elorts have been made to provide a mounting which would be sutliciently tight t-o prevent such rattling, but all of such known elorts have resulted inv making the mounting and container relationship so tight that the drawer-like container could be moved along the support only with great effort. It is accordingly one purpose of this invention to provide a support which shall besuiciently snug to prevent rattling noise and which shall, :at the sa-me time, be suiciently loose -to provide easy inward and outward movement of the drawer-like container. Similarly, it is one purpose of the invention to' provide a support 4formed of the material ywhich shall be eiective to deaden the sound of such rattling which might occur from the drawer-like container and mounting therefor upon which it is slidably mounted.

Another purpose is to provide a support for a drawerlike 'container which shall be sulciently flexible to absorb the tendency of the container to move in response to vibration 4and which shall, at the same time, be sutilciently still so as to provide a proper support without bending.

Another purpose is the provision of a support for slidably mounted, drawer-type containers.

Another purpose is the provision of a support for a movably mounted container which shall permit relatively free sliding move-ment of the container while, at the same time, insuring against rattling of the container.

iAnother purpose is the provision of a support formed of a friction material upon which a container may be slidably mounted for relatively -free movement therealong.

Other purposes will appear `from time to time in the course of the specification and claims.

`-One `example-ofthe type of container to which my invention is applicable is, as shown in the drawings, an ash receiver or ash tray installed in an automotive vehicle..

This invention is illustrated more or less diagrammatically in the drawings, wherein:

-Figure l is :a side view in partial cross section;

Figure 2 is a view taken on the line 2 2 of Figure l;

Figure 3 is a View similar to that of Figure 2 and illustra-ting a variant form of the invention;

Figure 4 is a side view in partial cross section of a variant form of the invention; and

Figure 5 is a front view in partial cross section ot the structure illustrated in Figure 4.

Like` parts are indicated by like symbols throughout the specitication and drawings.

`Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to Figure 1, numeral 1 generally indicates a portion of an automobile which may, for example, be a dashboard. Secured to the dashboard 1, as by the securing means shown lCe generally at 2, is a container support, the general struc` ture of which is indicated by the numeral 3. 4 is a cross member w-hich may be attac-hed to a portion of the automobile behind the dashboard 1, which may be secured to the top surface of the support in any suitable manner, for example by welding. It will be understood that, while the support 3 is shown as mounted upon the automobile dashboard 1 and extending inwardly from or behind the dashboard 1, the support 3 may be similarly mounted upon other structures without departing :from the nature and scope of the invention.

yThe rear edge 5 of the top wall or body 6 of the support 3 may be downwardly or angularly bent, as shown in the left-hand portion of Figure 1, to provide a limiting or stop means for an ash receiver or container, shown generally at 7, and slidably mounted upon, the support 3. t

The container 7 may `comprise a bottom wall 8 and a pair of side walls 9, 10, the container thus being upwardly open. While an ash tray or ash receiver is illustrated, it will be realized that the container 7 could be utilized to receive or contain a plurality -of various items without departing from the nature and scope of the invention. The container 7 may have a rear wall 11 extending between and closing the space between the side walls 9, `10. A front wall 12 may close the space `between the opposite edges of the side walls 9, 10 and may have an upper extension 13 and a lower extension 14 serving 'to mask the opening in the dashboard 1 through which the container 7 is -free to move along the support 3.

The main body portion 6 of the support 3 may extend across the top of the box-like container 7 and may have `along each of its longitudinal side edges one ofthe channel members 15, 16. As indicated in Figure 2, the support 3 may be formed of :a single piece of sheet metal, the longitudinal edges of which may be bent to form the inwardly open channels 15, 16 which are spaced downwardly from the support section 6 by the downwardly bentor otset portions 17, 18, respectively. Y Normally ixedly secured within the channels 15, 16, respectively, are the runner supports 20, 21. The runner supports 20, 21 and the channels 15, 16 in which they are seated lie in a plane parallel to the body 6 of the support 3 and the bottom wall 8 of the container 7 and are of sutlicient lateral extension to extend inwardlyA beneath the support section 6 and within the area delined by the side walls 9, 10 of the container 7. The top edges of the side walls 9, 10 of the container7 may be bent upon themselves to form inwardly directed, outwardly open channel sections or runners 22, 23 of sutlicient size to surround the inwardly extending portions composition of fabric andrmetal.:andmayibein'ttheform?` of a relativelyethi'ckwebbingr Referring now to Figure.1.3,wa variantifformllofcthe':

inventionwis.- illustratedi. The`l supporttportionrGzn corresponds generally to the supportfsectiomshowniinxFigure s 2. Similarly, the:` support'f channels5 f 15o, 16a correspondsgenerallyfrto the support'ichann'els1-15, 16. of Figure 2 except thatttthey r may bef; greater: `1in lateral. orrvertical' crosssectionl as-.thes-.pa-rts arel shownlnin..4 the :drawingsz Encasedlwithin the channels 15a 4ands16a ianduextendi'ngIV inwardly 'f a-short." distance therefrom are vthe generally U-shaped f.- or` f channel-like runner supporting members 20a, 21a.-` Theiside walls-9a,Y 10a ofithercontainer-.may have 1 their. uppenV edgesr outwardlyi bent-.andY inwardly. bent :upon 1 themselves toa-form: theV outwardly' extending longitudinalL runners. 22d; 23a;l Therunners 22a,. 23a are-channel-like inrforml and..A are generallyofV across'- sectionaliareafsuchfasato tsnugly within the channellikerunner supporting membersZtla, 21m Asindicated in Figure 3, the runner supports 20a,-21a may be formedof "a material such as to permit `free slidable movement of therunners122ay 23a thereinl and may, for example, be formedrofarcomposition ofrubber and afabric such as felt.

Referring nowl `toA Figures V4 and .5, I villustrate ya variant form of my invention, wherein an ash tray-or container body 7b may be rotatably or tiltably mounted upon a-pin or spindle 100.` The container body 7b may have afrontfwalllZb having upperandlower edge portions 13b, 14b,-Y respectively, Whichserve to mask the area of a structure,'fsuch` as an automobile dashboard 1b, about an aperture. therein through which the body vor container 7b-may rbemovedifonits pivot 160.l 101 generally indicates a-handle portion adjacent an upper areaof'the front .facing 12b. The-automobile dashboard 1b may be inwardly oifset, as indicated generally at 102, to create an `area through Awhich the lower facing portion 1419 may move when theA ash tray- 7b is rotated about the axis 100.` Asupport 6b lmaybe secured to and behind the dashboard 1b, as indicated generally at 103. The support 6b, as best seen in Figure 5, corresponds generally to the supportsl 6 andy 6d',- illustrated in Figures l-3, except that it is-generally arcuate in-lateral crossV section. The support 6b has along its opposite arcuate side edges 17b, 18b a pair of 'U-shaped, inwardly open: channels 15b,16b Positioned'within the-channels 15b, 16h and thus corresponding in arcuate position therewith are runner IsupportingmembersrZllb, 21b, which correspond in substancewith'tlre'runner supporting members illustrated in Figures 2 and 35 Similarly,the container body. 7b

may` havefalong its upperopposite side edges the runners 22h, Zlib, which are'vshaped to titA about and ride upon the inwardly extending portions of the. members 20]), 2lb.

It willbe realized that, whereas I have described and illustrated a practical and operative device, nevertheless7 manychanges may be made in the-size, shape, number and `disposition `of parts without departing from the spirit of my invention.` I therefore wish my description and drawings to'be taken as, in a broad sense, illustrative or diagrammatic, rather than as limiting me to my precise showingf I claim:

1... In.. combinatioma. .drawer-like,y upwardly hopen container, a support for said container, said support comprising a central body portion, a pair of spaced parallel inwardly directed channel members, said channel members being secured along and beneath opposed longitudinal edges of said body portionaapair of flexible runnersupporting members, each' of" said runner-supporting members completely filling., kone lofvv'said ychannel members and being held thereby, each of said runner-supporting members having a longitudinal portion extendingninwardly beneath said `body portion,.vsaid container having a pair of longitudinal runner elements along its opposite longitudinallupperl edges,`v said =.runnerv4 elements 'comprising outwardly openchannels receiying;;said inwardly extending runner-supporting longitudinal portions.

2. In combination, a drawer-like, upwardly open con- `tainer, a support for said container, said support comprising acentral body portion,a pair of spaced, parallel, inwardly directedchannelmembers, each* of said ychannel members being secured along and beneath an'opposed longitudinal edgefoffsaidfbody portion, a pair 'ofsemirigid-runner-supportingv members, eachfV of said runnerf supporting members completely lling one -of said channel I'members and being fheld thereby; each of said 'runnersupporting members having-a longitudinal portion extendinginwardlybeneath'said body portion, said con'- tainer having a pair of-longitudinal runner elements along its oppositelongitudinall upper edges, said runner elements comprising outwardly open channels receiving said linwardly extending r runner-supporting longitudinal portions," said irst-named channels, said runner-support-Y ing-members and said runner elementsfbeingof substantially equal'length. and flying generally in the same plane.` 3. In'combination; a support, a pair of opposed, spaced,

inwardly-openl channel members along r opposite longitudinal edges ofv said support, semi-rigid runner-supporting channel` members rcarried by and substantially lling said channel-members, a container, a pair of runner members` along-the-upper longitudinal edges of said container, said runner members being in container-supporting relationship with said runner-supporting members.

4. In. combination, a support, a pair of longitudinally extending,.inwardly-open, opposed channels on said support, eachl of saidchannels carrying and positioning a flexible-runner-supporting member, a container, runners on saidcontainer, said runners being in container-supporting relationship with said runner-supporting elements, said runners comprising channels formed along the upper edges .of opposed walls. of said container, said yrunner supporting elementsbeing in Contact with opposite lwalls of said container channels.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 881,511 Waters Mar. 10,' 1908 945,650 Webb Jan..4, 1910 2,199,451 Visser May 7, 1940 2,478,470 Eastmanet al. Aug. 9, 1949 2,550,980 Drake May 1, 1951 2,553,138 Hendricks May 15, 1951 2,599,212 Triplett June 3, 1952 2,606,091 Buchy Aug. 5, 1952 2,646,333 Abrahamson.v .July 21, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS.

122,895 Australia Dec. 5, 1946 

